No Talk and No Action

"It's highly unlikely that Wells would retire if he weren't dealt to a team closer to his San Diego-area home. However, the fact that Wells didn't stretch with his teammates during the Sox' first spring workout and didn't partake in Photo Day would suggest that he has made little effort to make himself a part of the team.

"No?

'''What I can say,' Clifton said, 'is David has always been a popular teammate, because his teammates know he's the ultimate gamer every fifth day. I think David's plan is to focus on getting ready for the season.'"

Favorite Sun

"If you live for baseball, the first full squad spring workout is just about the best day of the season. It means that box scores -- one of the four basic food groups for seamheads around the world -- will soon be part of your morning breakfast again." -- 02.24.06, Dan Shaughnessy

Curious George

"This year he's been everywhere. Yesterday, he showed up in the coaches' room as the players were finishing their workouts, then lingered in the hallway outside [Joe] Torre's office and then decided to come in and sit on a couch while Torre did his daily media session.

"As the manager talked, Steinbrenner fiddled with a paper clip and peered curiously at each reporter who asked a question. He also seemed interested in playing the role of class cut-up; at one point, Torre was asked about how Damon nearly came to the Bronx during the same winter that his good friend and former A's teammate Jason Giambi signed his seven-year, $120 million contract with the Yanks.

"'(Giambi) took all of the money so we couldn't do anything,' Torre joked, only to have Steinbrenner pipe up, 'You got some, didn't you?' as everyone laughed and Torre responded, 'Thank you sir.'

"At another point, Torre was asked if he had been able to sit down and have an extended chat with [Johnny] Damon yet.

"'I haven't had a chance sit down and really to talk to anybody," Torre began. "I've talked to ...'

"The entire scene was bizarre, and long-time Yankee observers struggled to recall a similar incident. Although Steinbrenner and Torre have had an up-and-down relationship, their heart-to-heart this winter (which preceded Torre's announcement that he was going to return to manage again this season) has apparently made a difference.

"Quite simply, The Boss just seems happier. He can still get riled up - he doesn't like the World Baseball Classic and he reiterated his displeasure with it yesterday - but he hasn't been nearly as curt as in previous springs and seems to enjoy just hanging around the clubhouse." -- Sam Borden, New York Daily News, 02.23.06

Manny's a Class Act

Manny's a Class Act

(BDD Photo Illustration / Meir Weinberg)

The Real Reason Why Manny Needs More Time Away from the Team: Final Exams This Week with His Personal Trainer

"...Manny Ramirez, far from being honest and forthright, has long since stopped caring about the Red Sox, if he ever cared about them at all. He has never wanted to be here, he still wants to be traded, and he seems to take personal delight in tweaking management whenever possible."

"So they [Theo Epstein and Terry Francona] sit there at the picnic table, or in the conference room, or in the dugout — wherever the cameras are set up — and they lie. They lie for Manny Ramirez, sitting at home watching it all get replayed on 'SportsCenter' and laughing so hard that his milk starts coming out of his nose."

"Until or unless the Red Sox trade this overgrown child, the (tee hee, chuckle chuckle) Manny Moments will continue. More injuries, more sick relatives. I see jury duty coming around the corner, followed by a draft notice. Having already earned his American citizenship, Manny’s next trick will be to miss a Blue Jays series while procuring his Canadian citizenship.

"And, always, the fans will laugh it all off because Manny smiles a lot and rolls his eyes as he’s ducking into the Green Monster to pee.

"Disgruntled Boston slugger Manny Ramirez was so eager to be traded to the Angels this winter that he called former Red Sox teammate Orlando Cabrera, now the Angel shortstop, for a scouting report not on the coaching staff or clubhouse culture but on the Southern California media."

"'He asked me in particular about you guys,' said Cabrera, who helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series. 'A lot of [the problems] he has in Boston are about a lack of privacy. He's bothered by the media all the time."

"'I told him [Anaheim] is a normal city. When you try to compare the media in any city to the media in Boston, nothing is the same. It's crazy over there. The only thing close to that is New York.'"-- 2.22.06, Los Angeles Times

Silver lining

"Then there’s Lyndsey (sic) Jacobellis, the snowboard-cross queen who blew a gold showboating for the crowd and then took a tumble within sight of the finish line. In one of several differing explanations she gave for the mishap, Ms. Jacobellis said she was just trying to show her enthusiasm for boarding. Perhaps she can convince the world and her sponsors that a silver medal is just as much fun and worth just as much as a gold.

"Given efforts like this it’s not difficult to see why, for many Americans, the Olympics are not something to get too excited about.

"Given the apparent lack of intensity by some of the competitors and the 'who cares?' attitude by some, it’s almost as if the Olympics are more 'about me' and 'having fun' than about giving it your all for the red, white and blue."-- 2.21.06, The Mountain Mail

"Players who will be participating in the World Baseball Classic are scheduled to report to their WBC teams on March 2. Ramirez is currently on the Dominican Republic’s provisional roster, but it should not be considered a lock that he is going to play in the Classic. In fact, there is a strong likelihood that Manny won’t be on the Dominicans’ final roster when it is announced."-- 2.21.06, Gordon Edes, Extra Bases Blog

Is Manny Skating Off to Turin?

Is Manny Skating Off to Turin?

(BDD Photo Illustration)

Will Our Model Citizen Be Going for the Gold?

"Asked the boss this morning to alert our convoy of writers in Turin to keep their eyes peeled for a certain Dominican-born cleanup hitter. David Ortiz, in camp today, says he hasn't talked to his fellow countryman in a few weeks. But, at the time, Ortiz said Manny Ramirez claimed to be headed to Italy for a vacation beginning tomorrow.

"'I talked to Manny a few weeks ago and he was going to Italy tomorrow,' Ortiz said with a hearty laugh. 'He said he was going there. He probably was just [kidding]. He's not going to be here on Tuesday. How you going to be there Monday, the day before [you come here]? Is it going to be roundtrip, the same day?'"-- 2.19.06, Chris Snow, Extra Bases blog

Say Hello to Coco

Say Hello to Coco

(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin)

"I'm a good person. I go out there and like to have fun and clown around with the fans and everybody and just be myself. I'm a grounded person, so just go out there and have fun with everybody." -- Coco Crisp, Red Sox Center Fielder

Holy Cow!

Working Class Dog

Working Class Dog

(AP Photo)

Is Trot's Hard Work Leading to Injury?

"Same old Nixon: still working hard, and doing so at a point in his career where it’s OK to hardly work. But while the guy could surely be applauded for this old-timey work ethic, it does raise an interesting question: Are Red Sox fans going to see yet another season in which their favorite Dirt Dog works so hard that, in the end, he breaks down?

"Wouldn’t Nixon — and, by extension, the Red Sox — be better off if he acquainted himself with the fine science of tugging on the manager’s shirt now and then and asking for a day off?

“'I would love to do that, but it’s not the kind of person I am,' he said. 'I’m not trying to sound brash or cocky, but I think a lot of what’s happened may just be a product of the way I’ve played my entire career. I overlooked certain things that were going on with my body. But there are two different kind of players — players that are smart, and do it that way, take the time off, and they may not play on days when they should. I guess I’m kind of the reverse of that.'”
-- 2.17.06, Steve Buckley, Boston Herald (subscription required)

Reunited

Reunited and it feels so good
Reunited 'cause we understood
There's one perfect fit
And, buddy, this one is it
We both are so excited
'Cause we're reunited, hey, hey

Leaving Sox Crushed Nomie

"'"It was something new every time I turned around that season,' Garciaparra said. 'Ultimately, you don't have the energy to keep defending yourself, but at this point I don't want to rehash it. I've moved on and they've moved on.'"

"Was there any relief when finally traded?

"'Not at all,' Garciaparra said. 'I cried. I was crushed. The city and the fans meant that much to me, and they still do. I played for those fans, my teammates, the history of that franchise. It was hard to take the way it went down, but the thing I'm proudest of from my time in Boston is that we raised more than $1 million for charity and there is still a playground that has my name on it.'"-- Ross Newhan, Los Angeles Times

Ozzie Calls Out Garciaparra

'''I hate hypocrites: He's [Alex Rodriguez] full of [expletive],' Guillen told Sports Illustrated. 'The Dominican team doesn't need [him]. It's the same with [Nomar] Garciaparra playing for Mexico. Garciaparra only knows Cancun because he went to visit.'''-- Ozzie Guillen on A-Rod, Nomar, and the WBC

That's A Little Much Grady

"What happened at Yankee Stadium 854 days ago has long been a memory for Little.

"'I don't think it'll ever be totally forgotten,' Little said. 'If you spent any time in New England, I think you'd realize that.'"

"'Pedro is one of the players in that clubhouse who realized I made about two million decisions in that two-year period I was there,' Little said. 'That one, like every other decision I made, I've got to wait for the results to see if it was a good or bad decision.'

"That snippet of sarcasm is as close as Little, 55, gets to sounding bitter about becoming Boston's speed bag. Usually, he is dispensing one-liners. When asked why he chose No. 9, Little said, 'It's a number I wanted to wear in Boston, but they wouldn't let me wear it for some reason.'"

"'I love Grady,' [Pedro] Martínez, now a Met, said Thursday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. 'I thought what happened to him was unfair. But that ownership group wanted him out of there.'

"[Derek] Lowe said he was surprised by how much abuse Little received and hinted that Little's options in the game were limited.

"'Without getting too in depth,' Lowe said, 'there were guys that probably didn't want to go out there and pitch the eighth.'

"While the Mets' Pedro donna was sparing in his comments about his iffy right big toe -- five words: 'It's all right ... coming along' -- Mets people are taking positive vibes from his attitude and demeanor, which is downright giddy.

"But really, what choice do they have? Without Martinez, they stand about as much chance as a Port St. Lucie trailer in a Category 5 hurricane."-- 2.17.06, John Heyman, Newsday

It's Rufus by a Head

Terrier Steals the Show at Westminster,Beating Out Golden, Dalmatian in Nailbiter

"The classic profile of a colored bull terrier," judge James Reynolds praised.

"The tan-and-white canine was the first of his breed to win at the nation's most prestigious show. He was picked over a popular golden retriever, a Rottweiler handled by a former Florida State linebacker, a prize pug and a spirited Dalmatian.

"Rufus' handler, Kathy Kirk, said she was 'ready to pass out' from the pressure on the green carpet at Madison Square Garden. Her nearly 6-year-old dog that she playfully calls 'Puppyhead' took it all in stride.

Happy Valentin's Day

Happy Valentin's Day

(BDD Photo -- Love the Sport Coat John)

Romance Between Red Sox and Nation?

"Valentine's Day is one of the unofficial holidays of Red Sox Nation, right up there with Opening Day and October 27. It's no surprise that this year, it occurs a day after the team's equipment truck left Fenway Park for Fort Myers and spring training. For the relationship between the Red Sox and their fans resembles a romance.

"This isn't the superficial, saccharine-sweet kind of romance that Valentine's Day currently celebrates. For that, go to New York. No support is more skin-deep than the pinstriped passion for the Yankees..."

"The Red Sox succeed in attracting and keeping fans because their relationship, like all good romances, evolves and stays fresh. New Englanders never know how their team will surprise them, from winning a four-team pennant race on the last day of the regular season to losing a game when a ball dribbles past an infielder's ankles to dropping the first three games of a championship series -- and ultimately prevailing."-- 2.14.06, Rich Tornio, The Daily Item

Year of the Dog?

'''I'm going to go out there until my body shuts down,' said Nixon, who will turn 32 on the day of the Sox' home opener (April 11). 'I love this business and I love it in Boston. But I only have control over what I can do in the field. I don't have control over what they want to do.'"-- 02.14.06, Gordon Edes, Boston Globe

From Rock Star to Movie Star

(BDD Photo Illustration / Joseph Ditre)

Coco a Go-Go

"Not surprisingly, Cleveland fans took to the hustling Crisp. He cut a rap song, 'We Got That Thing,' which he wrote for an album featuring big league players (and Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith) called 'Oh Say Can You Sing.' Record producer Schorr was impressed. 'Zero hint of ego, laid-back and soft-spoken,' he wrote of Crisp, who performed the song at MLB's party at the All-Star Game. He and godbrother Marcus came up with a reality dating show they call 'A Bucket and a Tank of Gas.' The gimmick is that a well-heeled guy pretends to be broke; he's given a beat-up car -- the bucket -- and very little else to try to impress a young woman on a date. At the end of the show, his real identity is revealed -- they used actor Rashaan Nall in the pilot -- but if the woman had earlier expressed no interest in pursuing the relationship, then it was the guy's call if he'd see her again.

"Crisp had tried some acting himself as a child, but it never got serious. 'I'd go on auditions and only read the cue cards,' he said. 'That's it. Never put any emotion in it.'

"He plays the game with considerably more flair, which is why he expects Red Sox fans will eventually be won over.

'''They're going to do what they're going to do,' he said. 'I'm going to go out there and have fun, crash into a couple of walls. If they enjoy it, they do. If they don't, they'll say, 'Hey, don't hurt yourself.'

'''I'm going to go out there and play the best I do. If they enjoy watching me play, then that's good.'

It's Truck Day

Let's Do This

Ask Not What the Nation Can Do For Roger;Ask What Roger Can Do for the Nation

(October 7, 1995: Boston Globe Staff Photo / John Tlumacki)

Let's Do This

"But with the Red Sox now bidding against the Yankees, Rangers and Astros, the price tag for Clemens very well could soar over $20 million for one year. If so, there would be an enormous incongruity to a Clemens deal for the Red Sox, something which, on its face, reflects a lack of planning."

"Whatever the rationale, however, signing Clemens would be a good move for Boston, for 2006 and beyond his days as an active player. There will be a lot of debate about what hat Clemens should wear into the Hall of Fame, and there is no doubt that when you think of Clemens, you associate him the most with the Red Sox. They should have a relationship with the guy, even if it's not an exclusive arrangement."-- 2.10.06, Buster Olney, ESPN blog (subscription)

"It'll probably cost more than $15 million to get the Rocket to end his career with the Sox, a small price to pay for the man who led baseball with a 1.87 ERA last season and won 13 games for an Astros team that didn't score many runs.

"It's a lot of money, but it’s not your money or my money. That said, money is the least expensive commodity in baseball. To get an impact player, the Sox wouldn't have to trade established players or prospects to get a top-flight pitcher.

"In the interest of full disclosure, I have a vested interest here. I want Clemens pitching for the Sox every fifth day. I want to feel that buzz coming in for the pre-game show, that intensity that revolves around the Rocket whenever he pitches.

Now That's a Rocket

Roger and Me

Roger and Me

(Reuters Photo, 2001)

Rocket Fueled Schilling's Success

"I think Roger was the first step, and a huge step for me. I was working out in the offseason in 1991 in the Astrodome and Roger was in the weight room working out. And I was kinda going through the motions of getting my time in, whatever I had to do and Gene Coleman the strength coach came over and said Roger wanted to talk to me. And I knew Roger, from being in the Red Sox organization before that, and being the pitcher that he was, and so I said great. So one thing I like to talk about is pitching. I thought that's what we were going to do. So I went over there and he proceeded to chew my ass off for about an hour and a half. And, I had lost my father three years before that, and I had not really had that guy in my life that said 'listen, you know what? you need to sit down and shut up and listen. This is how it's going to work. This is what you need to do and when he got done.' And instead of walking away like a lot of people and saying 'what does he know?' my first thought was here's a guy who's won a bunch of Cy Youngs. Just spent an hour and a half of his day, and actually gave a crap about me, and OK I need to start addressing some issues. And I didn't turn it around that day, there was a process, but I think it started that day, and that was the biggest step."-- 2.24.04, Curt Schilling

Fenway's Friendly for Roger

"While it might be coincidence, Al Nipper will become the interim pitching coach as Dave Wallace recovers from a serious hip infection that might render him unable to coach during spring training. Nipper is one of Clemens's closest friends. Clemens also has other friends on the Red Sox, including John Flaherty, Tim Wakefield, and Curt Schilling. And Josh Beckett idolizes Clemens."-- 2.10, Nick Cafardo, Boston Globe

Here We Go Again. Roger That.

"...the Red Sox as we speak are preparing to make a serious offer to one Roger Clemens, who will turn 44 in August. According to sources, the Sox’ pitch will include a slick video presentation that features a number of Red Sox fans imploring the Rocket to finish his career where it began. "-- 2.7, Gerry Callahan, Boston Herald (subscription)

Making Roger's Return a Reality Isn't Rocket Science

The Real Cy Young Award is Still Up for GrabsRed Sox Career Wins:Cy Young -- 192Roger Clemens -- 192

Going, Going, Gonzo

Red Sox shortstop Alex Gonzalez, playing for Venezuela, celebrates after hitting the winning two-run home run against Dominican Republic during their Caribbean Series game at Jose Bernardo Perez stadium in Valencia, Venezuela on Saturday. Venezuela won the game, 11-9.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Don't Cry for Me Johnny Damon!

Don't Cry for Me Johnny Damon!

(BDD Photo Illustration)

Damon Breaks Silence After Leaving SoxAudio: Johnny with David Lee Roth - Part 1, Part 2"'My kids had a hard time dealing with it,' he said. 'I kinda told them [I was leaving the Red Sox]and they cried, and I cried with them. And I said, 'Hey, this team really just did not want meas much as I wanted them.'" -- Former Red Sox Center Fielder Johnny Damon

Steel Curt

Steel Curt

(Fox Sports Video Image)

A Two-Minute Drill with Schill

With the Patriots missing out on the Super Bowl for just the second time in the last five seasons, most fans with New England ties are simply rooting for a "good game" between the Seahawks and Steelers on Sunday.

That's not the case for Red Sox ace Curt Schilling.

Schilling is a dyed-in-the-wool Pittsburgh Steelers fan. And it's not because quarterback Ben Roethlisberger just had a big season.

Schilling's father was from Pennsylvania and spent his life in the U.S.
Army's 101st Airborne Division. "My father was born and raised in Somerset, Pa. I was raised a Steeler and Pirate fan," Schilling said.

He owns throwback jerseys bearing the names Lambert, Greene, Bradshaw, Harris, Swann, and Stallworth, and will tell you everything you wanted to know -- and then some -- about Pirates greats Willie Stargell and Dave Parker.

With that in mind, we asked Schilling to answer a few questions about Steelers history and Sunday's Super Bowl.

Q: Which of these is the best Steeler performance in Super Bowl history?

Let the Games Begin

Let the Games Begin

(AP Photo)

Alex Cora signs autographs as he arrives with the rest of the Puerto Rican team for the Caribbean Series in Valencia, Venezuela yesterday. Dominican Republic's Julian Tavarez speaks with a migration officer upon his arrival. Four teams representing the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Venezuela begin play in the annual series today.

The Pinstriped Piper

Johnny Cash Gets Some New Wheels

(AP/Puma Photo)

Johnny Damon, the new center fielder for the New York Yankees, poses by his Ferrari F430 Spider today in New York. The car is a gift from Puma, presented to Damon for signing on for another four year sponsorship.

The Pinstriped Piper

(BDD Photo Illustration)

Johnny Wants to Take Manny, Papi to the Bronx

"Damon praised his former Red Sox teammate Manny Ramirez for his exceptional ability and for urging the Red Sox to sign David Ortiz. He also stumped for Ramirez to defect to the Bronx.

"'Manny really wants out of Boston, just so he can relax and chill,' Damon told Kay. 'If he played for the Mets, he probably wouldn't be able to chill much. But I think the Yankees would be a perfect fit for him, as well as for David Ortiz.'" -- 2.1.06, Tyler Kepner, New York Times

"Everything feels right about being a Yankee, about the tradition, about my new teammates. It feels pretty special." -- Johnny Damon, New York Yankees CF

Gonzalez in Boston

Let's Get Physical

(BDD Photo Illustration / Joseph Ditre)

Alex Gonzalez is in Boston;Will Have Physical Today

Pending the outcome of a physical he is scheduled to undergo this morning after flying here yesterday from his native Venezuela, Alex Gonzalez is poised to replace Edgar Renteria as shortstop for the Red Sox. ... The Sox are expected to announce Gonzalez's signing after his physical. His agent, Eric Goldschmidt, confirmed yesterday that the player agreed to a one-year deal for $3 million, with standard contract bonuses for awards. The Orioles, Goldschmidt said, actually offered more money, with the idea that if they didn't trade shortstop Miguel Tejada, Gonzalez would play third base, with Melvin Mora shifting to the outfield. But Gonzalez preferred to remain at short and sign with the Sox. -- 02.01.06, Gordon Edes, Boston Globe